Please welcome Abby Williams Nicolo as our new On-line Market Manager as we also say good-bye and many thanks and good wishes to Penny Bergeron our past manager. Friends of the Market may already know Abby as our Kid’s Corner Coordinator. Come greet Abby and join us November 16th for the first On-line Market Open House. Sample products and get ideas for holiday entertaining. Tim Mansfield will be sharpening,so bring those knives,scissors, chainsaw chains etc….

Beautiful pesticide-free Christmas trees and wreaths from Brookgreen Farm are available again this year for pre-order on the On-line Market. This is one of our largest fund-raising efforts for the Market. We appreciate your support and are pleased to be able to offer such a high quality product.

BrookgreenFarm

Caroling

Kids Activities

Parade

ChristmasTree Fundraiser

Christmas Tree

Join us Green Friday, November 25th and December 3rd, 11 am to 3 pm at Town Park for our Winter Markets and Christmas Tree Fundraisers. Enjoy free kids activities, listen to Christmas carols sung by the Highland Camerata at 12:30, shop for delicious local products and beautiful crafts, and pickup your pre-ordered Christmas trees and wreaths. In addition December 3 features the 2nd Annual Chili Cook-off. Free to enter, $5 to taste and vote for your favorite and $25 to the winner! Bring entries to the Market from 11-11:30.Tasting starts at 11:45 and the winner will be announced at 1:30. Be sure to stay for the Christmas Parade, it starts at 3pm.

It’s time once again for the 4th Annual Winter Markets and Christmas Tree Fundraiser. The Farmers Market returns to Town Park in Downtown Independence on Friday, November 27th and Saturday December 5th, from 10 am to 3 pm.

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Pick out your fresh, pesticide free Christmas tree and wreaths and enjoy shopping for local crafts and fresh, local foods. All proceeds from the tree sales benefit the Farmers Market. You can pre-order your tree at the On-line Market by going to the website, www.independencefarmersmarket.org and clicking the “On-line market” tab.

Join us again on December 5, activities include the 1st annual Chili Cookoff. Enter your best chili in the competition and win $50! Please bring your entry in a crockpot to the Market by 11 am. It’s free to enter and only $5 to buy a ticket to taste all the entries and cast your vote. It is a great way to stay warm while you wait to see the Independence Christmas Parade.
The Independence Farmers Market welcomes SNAP and offers a $25 match for all fruit and vegetable purchases.

Join us this Friday, October 9th for the LAST regular Market of the 2015 season. It’s Apple Day! Bring your entry for the Apple dessert contest to the Market by 11 am. Judging begins at noon. Prizes will be awarded! Bring your apples for the community apple pressing. It’s free. We’ll have apple juice available for a donation to the Market.

Don’t forget to buy a raffle ticket for the amazing Weigand Walnut coffee table/bench. Tickets are only $5 and it’s a beautiful piece of local craftsmanship. Thanks to Richard and Judy for their generous donation to the Market.

And I’ve saved the best for last. As Taffy mentioned in her comment, The Independence Farmers Market has received another FMPP Grant thanks to the hard work and excellent grant writing skills of the Farmers Market Committee Chair, Rick Cavey.

Not only does Rick grow great vegetables, he writes the Grants that give the Market the funds that help us teach our community how to do it too. Look for more great workshops, cooking demonstrations and farm tours. Thanks Rick!
AND the online Market opens Friday afternoon. 1st pickup is Friday the 16th from 10 to noon at the 1908 Courthouse. Just click the “on-line Market” tab at the top of the page. Create your account and start shopping.

We’ll also have our 2 Winter Markets and Christmas Tree fundraiser days on November 27th and December 5th.

The Farmers Market is pleased to announce a Raffle for a lovely live edge coffee table/bench made of local black walnut built and donated to the Independence Farmers Market by furniture maker Richard Weigand and his wife Judy. They live in Grayson County and are avid supporters of the market. Funds raised from their generous donation will be used to support the market activities. The table/bench measures 44 x 12 x 15 and retails for $1850. Did I mention that the Raffle tickets are only $5?!

Richard is an artist at heart and always has been. Over the years his art has taken various forms and shapes and for the last decade he’s turned to furniture making for his creative outlet. He loves making something beautiful and useful from wood he finds or wood that’s given to him. See more at Weigand Fine Art & Craft Gallery. 117 W. Grayson St., Galax, VA. For more info call 276 768 7710.

The drawing will be held during the 2nd Winter Market and Christmas Tree Fundraiser on December 5th at noon. You do not have to be present to win, but shipping or delivery is the responsibility of the winner.

Don’t worry, even though the kids have returned to school and the summer is coming to a close, there are still plenty of fun activities planned at the Market until we close October 9th!

August 21-Fiber day with Deb Clemens. Learn to raise rabbits, 10-11 am.

September 4th-Cooking Day

September 11th-Pepper Day, free pepper tasting

September 18th- Fiber Day with Vivian. Learn to raise alpacas, 10-11 am.

October 2nd Cooking Day and Customer Appreciation Day

October 9th- Apple Day and Grand Closing! Bring your apples for a free cider pressing and enter the Apple Dessert Contest. It’s also the last Fiber Day. Learn to raise goats with Deb Clemens.

October 10th-the On-line market opens for orders to be picked up at the 1908 Courthouse from 10-noon on Friday October 16th. The On-line market will be open until the Market opens again in Town Park Friday May 13th 2016.

November 27th-Green Friday! Winter Market and Christmas Tree Fundraiser. Pre-order your beautiful pesticide-free tree and wreaths on the On-line Market and pick it up at Town Park. We’ll have a few extra trees as well as wreaths for sale. Shop for Christmas presents at our Winter Market.

December 5th-Winter Market and Christmas Tree Fundraiser. Here’s another chance to pre-order your beautiful pesticide-free tree and wreaths on the On-line Market and pick it up at Town Park. We’ll have a few extra trees as well as wreaths for sale. Shop for Christmas presents at our Winter Market. Enter the Chili cook-off or come and taste and vote for your favorite. Prizes will be awarded. Stay for the Christmas parade and check out the Farmers Market Float. Maybe I can talk someone else into wearing the cow costume this year!

Stay tuned for the popular and informative Independence Farmers Market Workshops in 2016